Run Away With Me
by JazzyLittleMonster
Summary: It's 1917. Major Jasper Whitlock is on leave in Biloxi Mississippi. At a party he meets a girl named Alice. All human, AU.
1. Chapter 1: The Town Hall

**Run Away With Me**

**Chapter 1: The Town Hall**

Major Jasper Whitlock surveyed the room.

After six months witnessing horrors on the front line in Europe, it felt strange to be home in the U.S. He was on two weeks leave, and while they hadn't let him get all the way home to Texas, he was back in the South, staying in a town called Biloxi in Mississippi.

The town was buzzing to welcome the soldiers, and due to his respected military position, his attendance had been requested at a fancy ball that was being thrown in the Town Hall that evening.

He walked around the room, his posture erect and proper to a fault, the result of years in the army. The prettiest girls in town were here. Eligible daughters of the wealthiest store owners and high society men in Biloxi smiled at him, and their fathers shook his hand and patted him on the back. He had danced with two or three of them, but he still wasn't managing to have a good time. Whirling around with a girl in his arms who smelled of perfume and had cherry red lips was a good distraction, but not enough to ease the heavy burden that had settled on his soul after the things he'd done in battle. The girls didn't seem to notice, they enjoyed his company. He knew how to be pleasant and charming, and did it without realizing, always managing to put everyone around him at ease.

He wandered out onto the back porch of the town hall, brushing his long hair out of his eyes and sighing for the ache inside him. He tugged at the sleeves of his tux, and kept walking around the back porch, until he found himself in a deserted spot. He gazed up at the million stars in the sky above Mississippi, knowing they were the same stars above the front line in Europe, and wondering how many other lonely people were looking at those stars tonight.

A sudden movement to his right caught his attention, and his soldiers' instincts caused him to whip around defensively. His eyes locked on a young woman in a pale yellow dress, her eyes wide and her cheeks flushed. She looked so small and delicate and ethereal that he rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't going mad and she was really standing there.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize anyone else was out here," she almost whispered. Her voice was like music, the prettiest thing Jasper had ever heard.

"My apologies, ma'am," he replied, ducking his head respectfully. His hand reached up to remove his hat, and then he remembered he wasn't wearing one.

"I didn't realize either," he added.

She chuckled, her laugh like tinkling bells. "Looks like we're both trying to hide out," she said. Her eyes stayed wary, but she edged a little closer to him, a small smile on her lips, like she hoped he was a friend.

Hope. That's what it was, he realized. There was hope coming off of her in waves, so strong he could almost see it. She glowed with eagerness and optimism, like a pretty little lamp in the night. She edged a little closer and he felt the brightness of her energy bounce all around him. It was the first thing in months he'd felt stronger than his depression.

"What are you hiding from?" she asked, her dancing eyes looking up into his. Now that she was closer he saw how tiny she was, the top of her head came up to the middle of his chest. For them to be eye to eye, he'd have to pick her up. He stopped his brain immediately, as he began wrapping his arms around her in his thoughts.

"The party," he answered, frowning at himself for having inappropriate thoughts about the fragile girl.

"I like parties," she smiled. Her eyes twinkled at him, as though she could tell what he'd just thought.

"Then why are you hiding?" he shot back, a smile forming on his own lips.

Studied him for a moment, biting her lip, debating whether to trust him.

"I wasn't invited," she said. "I'm looking for someone."

He wondered why he didn't have the urge to press further on what she was doing there uninvited, but more strongly than that, he was overwhelmed with the feeling of enjoying her company. As a solitary man, even when he was making everyone happy in a crowd, this was a new experience for him. He felt warm and complete in a way he couldn't ever remember feeling before.

As he looked at her, he noticed the dress she wore was a little big. It didn't look like it belonged to her, perhaps it was a disguise to help her fit in at the party. How had she gotten there? She seemed to have just appeared beside him.

He realized he hadn't spoken for a few minutes, and she was just watching him, her hands dancing around the fabric of her dress.

"Between you and I," he said, leaning in a little closer and catching her fresh bright smell, so different from the strong perfumes of the girls inside,

"The party isn't up to much, not really worth sneaking into. It's all boring old men congratulating themselves, and a few of their boring young daughters trying to bag a soldier. "

She laughed again. The sound was already familiar to him, and he was sad when it ended.

"I need to find my sister. Cynthia Brandon. Do you know her?" there was urgency in her voice and, despite the overwhelming optimism that shone from her very being, he realized she was worried.

"Cynthia Hopkins?" he offered. He vaguely remembered meeting her. The wife of a banker.

"She got married?" she asked. For a moment she seemed distant and sad.

"Unless there's another Cynthia in there," he suggested. Although he was fairly certain there wasn't, having been introduced to all of the guests at the beginning of the party with the other highly ranking officers, as an honored guest.

"She has dark hair, like me. A little bigger," she rolled her eyes at herself, chuckling despite the seriousness of the situation.

He laughed too, and confirmed that the Cynthia he met had a slight resemblance to her. Nowhere near as pretty and interesting, she looked worn, a wife already, though she was fairly young. Her pointy features were ordinary where this girl's were mischievous and pixie-like.

"Can you get her for me? Can you bring her out here?" she asked.

"Of course, ma'am," he ducked his head again, turning to the party.

Suddenly the sound of approaching footsteps and men's voices made both of them jump.

"Hide me!" she gasped.

Before he had chance to think, she jumped into his arms. Catching her, he lifted her against him, and began moving them around in a dance, though her feet were off the floor.

A group of men from the town came out onto the back porch, talking and drinking, throwing a passing glance to the dancing couple.

The girl kept her head turned as far away from the men as possible. Jasper held her flush to his body, moving them in time to the music. He was enjoying this dance much more than the others he'd had this evening. She seemed to be enjoying his proximity too. Their hearts beat loudly against each other, their stomachs moving together with their fast breathing, although hers could have been due to nervousness.

"They're coming closer," he whispered in her ear, as the men walked around the porch crossing to the other side of Jasper. In a few steps they would see her face. Her eyes darted around for a way to hide.

"Kiss me!" she breathed, suddenly. "What?" Jasper gasped, and almost dropped her, too taken aback to respond politely.

"You heard me," she whispered fiercely, "Kiss me, quick!"

Before his mind could argue, Jasper's lips had already begun to descend upon hers. He brushed her lips lightly with his, and she made a small sound that tugged at his heart. She parted her lips, and wrapped her arms tight around him, pulling him into her. He felt tingles of pleasure run through him. As their lips moved together, it was as if her soul was running into him through his mouth. The feeling made his head spin, and he clung tightly to her.

They heard the men cross behind them and continue around the porch, back into the party. Their lips parted but their faces stayed close, looking deep into each other's eyes. They just looked at each other, breathing, for a long moment, everything else in the world forgotten. Slowly, Jasper released her, guiding her feet to the ground. She looked up at him, still dazed, and reached out a small hand to gently smooth his shirt where her grip had wrinkled it.

Neither of them seemed to know what to say. Jasper tried to find words, but there weren't any that fit the enormity of what just happened between them. The entire focus of his universe was suddenly centered around this little lady.

"I'll go find your sister," Jasper said, finally.


	2. Chapter 2: Cynthia Brandon

**Run Away With Me**

**Chapter 2: Cynthia Brandon**

Jasper disappeared into the party, leaving the girl to wait. Walking through the people of the town, he felt a world apart from how he'd felt earlier. There was a delicate lightness blossoming inside him, where before there had been darkness and numbness.

He found her sister with her husband and some ladies from the town. He noticed the similarities again. They had the same dark hair, though her sister's was longer, and their mouths made the same shape when they smiled, though her sister's smile didn't reach her eyes the way the girl's did.

He suddenly realized he didn't know her name. How strange, when he felt that he knew her so well already.

He approached the group where Mrs. Cynthia Hopkins listened to the butcher's wife complain about her garden, making sympathetic noises, while her husband poured himself another brandy.

"Pardon me, ladies," he said, as politely as he could. (Which was very politely).

"I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation, but I wondered if I might have a word with Mrs. Hopkins? If it's all right with you, sir," he added, to her husband.

"Certainly," her husband said, glancing up from his brandy. "And thank you, young man, for the fine work you're doing for our country."

He escorted Cynthia away from the group, and over towards the back porch, saying, "Follow me, please ma'am." He decided it wasn't his place to reveal who he was taking her to meet, since he knew the girl was in hiding.

When they arrived on the back porch, the girl was exactly where he'd left her. She bounced up and down on the soles of her feet, her eyes darting around nervously. He felt a strange sense of relief as soon as he saw her, even though he had only been away from her for a few minutes.

"Hi Cynthia," she said, when she saw her sister.

"Alice?" her sister looked stunned.

Alice. Her name was Alice. It suited her. Jasper resisted the urge to say it out loud, just to hear it on his tongue.

Her sister seemed appalled to see her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked incredulously, "You're supposed to be…"

"I ran away," Alice said. "I need your help, but you can't tell mom and dad,"

"Alice, I can't," Cynthia said, looking pained. "I'm married now, I got married. What would I tell my husband? He thinks you're dead. Everyone does."

Her sister looked sadly at Alice, as though she wanted to hug her. Alice backed away from her.

"What do you mean?" she asked in a small voice.

"Mom and dad told everyone you died, when they put you in there. It was easier. There would have been too many questions, too much shame on the family. I never would have been able to get married."

Cynthia looked at Alice like she was a lost animal. "Besides, you shouldn't run away from that place. It's good for you. It'll make you better."

Alice stared at Cynthia for a while, as though hoping for her to change her mind. When nothing happened, she gritted her teeth.

"I'm sorry I came. Forget it. Go back inside Cynthia."

Cynthia looked reluctant. "Alice, I'm going to have to tell someone that I saw you. You need to be where you can be taken care of. You're my sister, I don't want to hurt you, but I want to do what's right."

Cynthia turned to go back inside, and came face to face with Jasper, who had been standing at the entrance to the back porch for the entire conversation.

"She escaped from the asylum," she told him. "I need to find a policeman or someone who can help."

Jasper took her hand, leading her back to the party,

"It's okay, ma'am. Now that I realize what's going on, I can take care of this. I'll see your sister gets escorted out of here and delivered back to the asylum immediately."

He turned to Alice, grasping her firmly around the wrists and dragging her with him.

"Come on, you."

"No need to worry, Mrs. Hopkins," he said to Cynthia. "I'll take care of it. No need to disturb your husband or his friends on a fine night like this."

"Thank you Major," she said, relieved. "I'm sorry, Alice," she added sadly, before disappearing inside.

Jasper marched Alice right through the party, Cynthia watching them until they disappeared through the front door. He marched her down the front steps, still grasping her firmly. When they reached the street, he pulled her to one side, under the shelter of a tree and released her.

She watched him intently, her wide sparkling eyes shining with distress. It was obvious she was deeply sad about her sister, but she watched Jasper trustingly, never once struggling or trying to run away. Neither of them said a word.

Jasper stuck his hand into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. He took her hand, took out all the money in his wallet, and placed it in her open palm, closing her fingers around it. Reaching into another pocket, he pulled out an army knife, and pressed it into her other hand.

They looked intently into each others' eyes. Without a word, Jasper leaned down and pressed the softest kiss against her lips. She leaned into him, and he held her face in his hands for a second. Then he turned and walked back towards the party, leaving her free to go, armed with money and protection.

"Come with me," her voice pierced the darkness. Jasper stopped in his tracks and turned around.

She was smiling slightly at him, looking more hopeful than he'd ever seen her.

It only took Jasper a second to realize he wanted nothing more in the world than to follow her wherever she went. In a few strides he was back at her side. It was amazing how much better he felt just being near her.

"I want to," he said, and her beautiful eyes danced with joy. "But I can't," he added, hating that it was so.

"I'm a soldier. If I leave the army now, I'll be arrested and executed for desertion."

Her perfect porcelain forehead deepened into a big frown, "I don't want you killed," she said.

"What did you do? To be put in there?" he asked, and they both knew he meant the asylum.

"I see things," she said. "I have premonitions, I see the future. It scares people."

She looked up at him, wide eyed and hopeful again, and he wondered how anyone could ever be scared of her.

"I've killed hundreds of men," he whispered.

"So we're both scary," she said, a tiny smile on her lips.

He rolled up a sleeve, revealing an arm full of battle scars.

Gently she ran her fingertips over the scars, her breath catching in awe. She looked up at him, her face just as serene,

"I think you're beautiful," she said.

Jasper felt an explosion of happiness inside him.

"Jasper," she said, reverently fingering the name label sewed into the sleeve of his shirt.

"I think you're more beautiful," he said back, feeling shy for the first time ever with a girl.

"You can't come with me?" she asked again.

"The war will be over soon," he said, "We're winning. In a few months, it'll be over. And I'll come with you wherever you go."

"How will you find me?" she asked.

Jasper was about to answer, when a bright light shone on them, a large flashlight, in the hands of a police officer.

"That's her! We found her!" he shouted, advancing on Alice.

Jasper quickly got back into character, grabbing his money and knife back from Alice before the police saw them.

"Hello officer, I was just escorting this young lady out of the party. It seems she wasn't invited. Her sister tells me she's on the run."

"Good work, son," the police officer said. He made to grab Alice from Jasper, but Jasper did not release her, so he patted him on the shoulder instead.

"We'll take it from here," the officer said. "You go on back and enjoy the party, Major," he ordered, respectfully.

Jasper tried to keep hold of Alice, but two more police officers had arrived, and one slapped a pair of handcuffs on her.

She was oddly calm, not struggling at all, way to civilized to be taken to an asylum. Her eyes remained locked with Jasper's, but there was nothing he could do, as she was lead away from him, into the night.


	3. Chapter 3: The Asylum

_A/N: Thanks for all the adds to favorites and story alerts. If you read it, I'd really appreciate you dropping a line to let me know what you thought._

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**Run Away With Me**

**Chapter 3: The Asylum**

The first thing Jasper did the next morning was head over to the asylum. He hadn't been able to sleep worrying about her in that awful place. If they hurt her, he didn't know what he'd do.

He wanted to be able to take her away from there. He didn't know where they would go. Home to his mother in Texas, maybe. His mother would like her. Or to wherever she wanted to go. He would go with her anywhere.

Jasper had never really had a reason for existing. He joined the army because it gave him a sense of purpose, and he felt it was his duty. But after meeting Alice, he knew that his duty was to her. He understood the point of his whole life, and the entire universe, and it was all wrapped up in her.

In the few hours of sleep he had managed to steal, he had seen her face in his dreams. She looked at him with wide eyes, and touched her hand to his heart and made every bit of pain and guilt he felt go away. She held his hand and they danced together in a field of flowers. He woke up laughing at himself for being so sentimental, but with the biggest smile he'd ever had on his face.

The asylum was a grim place. She didn't belong here. He entered through thick wrought iron gates, with huge spikes, that said BILOXI SANITARIUM. He wondered how on earth she'd managed to escape this place.

The walls were dull grey, both inside and out. The place smelt of damp and neglect, and everything in it was dirty. He was greeted enthusiastically at the door by a receptionist, who explained that they didn't often have visitors, and expressed her respect for him as a high-ranking officer.

The receptionist called over the Head Doctor, who greeted Jasper with similar enthusiasm.

"Good morning, Major," he said, shaking Jasper's hand. "How can I help you?"

He was an old man with cold eyes and white hair. Maybe Jasper was biased, but he couldn't help thinking he seemed sinister. Still, he kept up the polite act, as good as ever at charming those around him.

"Good morning, doctor. A girl escaped last night and I helped bring her in, I was just stopping by to check on her."

The doctor chuckled, "Oh that's very kind of you, Major, but there's no need. She's doing fine now, safely put away. She won't escape again."

Jasper's stomach clenched at the way the man talked about his Alice so carelessly, like she was a stray dog.

"Still, I would like to see her." Jasper insisted, taking a few dollars from his wallet and pressing it into the doctor's palm.

The doctor nodded, "Certainly, follow me."

As he walked through the dim, grimy hallways, Jasper hated that Alice was in here, and that he had no way to rescue her because of his duty to leave with the army in a few days. At least she would be kept relatively safe here, rather than being out in the world on her own. He would know where to find her when he came back, and then he could take her away and they could start their life together.

They came to a thick iron door.

"Mary Alice Brandon, that's her," the doctor inclined his head, pulling up a large bolt and using his whole body weight against the door to push it open. Inside was pitch black.

"Pardon the procedure, Major, but we'll have to shut it and lock it while you're in there with her. Can't be too careful. Just give a knock when you're ready to come out."


	4. Chapter 4: Reunion, Promise

_A/N: Still getting a lot more favorites/story alerts than reviews! If you read the story, drop a line. I really value your feedback!_

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Run Away With Me

Chapter 4: Reunion, Promise

"Alice…" he asked, into the darkness. He stepped inside, letting his eyes adjust to the light, and saw her on the soiled mattress of a wrought iron bed. The horrible image, not right for such a beautiful girl, tugged at his heart.

Her feet wriggled and danced around in excitement at the sound of his voice, but her torso and arms were bound to the bed with thick straps.

"You came for me," she exclaimed, delighted.

"Couldn't you already see that I would?" he asked, not sure how her premonitions worked.

"Of course," she answered with a smile, "but I'm still so happy you're here."

He felt the joy and excitement coming off her in waves. Never had he been this profoundly moved by another person's emotions. They stirred something inside him, like a happiness of his own, but far more deep. Every second he was around her, he forgot more and more of his sadness. She replaced it in his brain. He wanted to stay around her until every last corner of his brain was filled with her, and the warmth of her spirit, so that there was no more room for the memories that haunted his mind and soul.

He pulled out his pocket knife and sliced through the straps that bound her to the bed.

"Thanks," she smiled, stretching hugely like a tiny cat on the dirty mattress.

His eyes were adjusting to the dark now, and he could see her outline clearly, and the white of her teeth when she smiled.

"Did you get into a lot of trouble?" he asked, "Did they hurt you?"

"Not too much," she said, ducking her head. He moved closer, trying to make out if it was a bruise he could see on her cheek, but it could have been a shadow in the dark.

"They tied you up," he was angry about it.

"Because I ran away," she answered. "They don't usually do it."

"Why do they keep you in the dark?" he asked, the concern making his voice crack a little.

"They think it will stop me seeing things," she answered, "I've tried explaining that it's all inside my head, but that just makes it worse. They think I'm over-stimulated," she laughed a tiny laugh, gesturing to the blank walls, and empty room.

"Being in here is better than being out there though, with the others," she added, a little fear creeping into her voice. "I was in a communal ward when I started. That was scary. So much screaming. And nobody wants to be friends, they all think you're trying to kill them. Or they're trying to kill you," again she laughed faintly. He marveled at her strength to make light of this terrifying situation, almost as horrific as the terrors he endured at war.

"I thought about you last night," he admitted, ducking his head shyly, unsure if he was sharing too much. "I missed you."

"I missed you too," she answered. "My Jasper." Her wide smile was undeniable this time.

He felt surprised and delighted and so proud to hear her call him that. The intensely pleasant emotions she gave off became unbearably intense, drawing him to move closer to her like a magnetic current.

She was pulled by it too and as he drew close to the bed, she jumped up onto the mattress, launching herself at him joyfully.

He caught her easily with one hand, and she wrapped both legs around his waist, and her arms around his neck, kissing him passionately.

Their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. He sat with a bump on her mattress, and she unhooked her ankles from his back to rest her knees on either side of his hips, still in his lap. His lips moved along her jaw, his hands tracing her spine through her thin gown, and she purred softly, her hands brushing his long hair back from his face.

They paused for a moment to look into each others' eyes. They were breathing exactly in unison, their hearts pounding together, their cheeks flushed. Her lips were swollen, which made her all the more beautiful. She traced a scar that stretched from his eyebrow to his temple, reverently.

"My Alice," he breathed.

They kissed again, softer.

A loud bang on the door made her jump, and he held her to him protectively.

"I'm leaving tomorrow for the front line," he said, to the top of her head. She had buried her face in his neck at the sound of the door, and he found it easier to say without looking in her devastatingly beautiful eyes.

"I'll be back soon, six months or a year at the most, and then I'll take you away from here," he promised. "And I'll follow you wherever you want to go."

"You will," she said, raising her head up to look at him. There was a smile on her face. Sad and longing, but there was hope and it was a smile. "I've seen it, you will come back for me."

He broke into a grin of his own at this news. "I will?" he asked, almost not daring to believe how wonderful it would be if he could survive the war and rescue his darling girl.

"As long as you don't get yourself killed," she warned, "That would change things." He grimaced.

"So be careful, Major Whitlock," she teased, tickling him a little, and then growing serious. "Fight well. Come back to me."

"I love you, Alice," he said, looking surprised at himself as the words came out of his mouth, but knowing he meant it, even as he wondered at what love was.

"I know that too," she said, softly kissing his cheek, then the corner of his mouth. "And I love you back, Jazz," she whispered into his mouth.

"Jazz?" he whispered back.

"Nickname," she mumbled, intent on kissing him.

After a few more blissful moments, they separated. Jasper was required at a strategic planning session soon, he was probably already late. Although from now on nothing in the world mattered more than the girl in his lap, he had to co-operate with the army in order to get safely back to her as soon as possible.

"I'll try to visit again before I go," he promised.

"You won't have time," she said sadly.

"Are you sure?" he frowned, at the same time saddened by the news and stunned at her ability.

"99 percent," she said. "We'll write to each other though," she promised.

"Although it'll be up to you to pull that off. They won't let me hold a toothbrush, let alone a pen," she added wistfully.

"I'll pull it off," he promised her, holding her tight and breathing in the top of her head one last time before releasing her.

He hated to see her alone in that dark room as he walked away towards the door. He ached to stay with her, to steal her from this horrible place. But while he was away, at least it was a place where she would be relatively safe.

"Take care, soldier," she called, into the darkness.

"I'll be back soon, my Alice," he called back, before rapping on the door to be let out.

As the heavy iron swung shut behind him, he turned to the waiting doctor. Full of the confidence of new love, that tiny perfect girl now his only priority, he pulled out his wallet and emptied its considerable contents, 18 months wages, into the doctor's hands.

"She will be needing a new room. I am not satisfied with her current living conditions," he said sharply, taking command.

"Yes, Major," said the doctor, taken aback, his eyes on the money. The asylum looked like it hadn't seen that much money since it had been built.

"You will take me now to choose a suitable room for Miss Mary Alice," he had taken her file from the doctor's hands, reading her full name, and was flipping through it as they walked back towards the main wing of the building.

He read the names of drugs, pages of notes documenting hours in the dark, disciplinary beatings, rage clouded his mind, but he pulled himself together to continue addressing the doctor,

"Her current treatment is obviously ineffective. She will begin new treatment immediately, starting with a room with light, and a clean mattress. She will need a window with a view. These drugs are obviously unnecessary and she will not take them from now on. She will not be restrained to her bed by any means. She won't try to escape again. You will consult with me before beginning any new form of treatment, and will keep me updated of her progress. I will come back and check on her whenever I can, and in the meantime, I expect to receive a letter from her personally, in her own handwriting, at least once a month."

Japser finished his list of demands, waiting for the reaction of the doctor, who still looked greatly surprised.

"You seem to have taken a shine to Miss Brandon, Major," the doctor muttered. "She's a pretty young thing, but she's really not worth all that. She's trouble, that one. Unruly," he tutted.

Jasper clenched his teeth to keep from punching the man for speaking of her in that way. "Do we understand each other?" he asked the doctor.

Jasper had always been charismatic, easily able to get what he wanted. His mother had told him it was a gift, and his father had shown him how to develop it and use it to his advantage. In situations such as this, it really paid off.

"Yes, Major," the doctor answered curtly, resigned, as if disappointed to have to treat the troublesome girl well.

Without another word, Jasper followed him to pick out a better room for Alice, so that she could be as happy as possible here until he was able to come and take her away.


	5. Chapter 5: Letters To The Front Line

_A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews, favorites, and alerts. You guys are the best! Onward…_

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**Run Away With Me**

**Chapter 5: Letters To The Front Line**

"Got some letters here boys!" the postmaster shouted, over the roar of distant tanks.

Major Jasper Whitlock was at the front of the line in a second. He glowed with pride when he was handed a small envelope, addressed in Alice's spiral swirly handwriting.

He had never had a girl back home to write to. He used to laugh at the boys as they sat around reading their letters aloud, showing pictures, telling stories. He thought it was a pointless distraction, when those men were probably going to die before they saw their women again, and never understanding how a woman could be so important in the face of death.

Now he knew. How one person could make you feel invincible. How she was everything he lived for, and made him fighter harder and better so that he could come home to her as he'd promised.

Her visions weren't much use to his survival since they were generally about a future that was the past by the time her letters reached him. But once or twice, she'd had a vision that had saved his life, and helped him win. The securing of the small town they were currently camping on the outskirts of was all down to Alice.

Besides, visions or no, he could read her cheerful quirky letters forever. As he read the words, he heard her high happy voice in his mind, and he could close his eyes and pretend he was with her. The horrors of his day were washed away as she talked so earnestly about whatever little thing fascinated her at that moment.

He settled down outside his tent to read his letter, a genuine smile spreading across his face for the first time since her last letter.

_Dear Jasper, _(his name was surrounded by doodles of hearts)

_I miss you, my love._

_Isn't it funny how we've become so important to each other already? You're all that keeps me from jumping out the window here (to escape, not to - you know…) At least I have a window to jump out of now, and I have you to thank for that, my brilliant soldier._

_You've saved me already. I don't think you even know how much. And I can't wait to show you all the ways you will save me when you come back to me._

_I love my window. I watch the birds playing on the tree outside every morning when I wake up. There's a nest of babies, and they squeak the most adorable high sounds and their mother feeds them from her own mouth._

_When we go away together, I want to live somewhere where I can see the birds. Let's get a big old three-story house on a ranch with a huge oak tree and tie a plank of wood to it and make a swing._

_Hmm, I can't see that in my visions. Maybe we won't be able to afford that yet. We can share a little room and just go to the park a lot. As long as you and I are there it will be the nicest home in the world. I can get a job too, to help pay for things, as soon as people stop treating me like a crazy person._

_Ooh! I just had a vision of myself baking bread in a bakery. I'll be a bakery girl! I'll bring you fresh warm bread home every evening, baked with love, and you'll kiss me the minute I walk through the door because you hated spending the whole day apart from me._

_It's so fun seeing our future! As long as I know I have that to look forward to, I can stick it out here and wait for you. And as long as I can see you in my future, that means you're staying safe. Well done, Major. :)_

_Treatments are okay. They really haven't been so bad at all since you talked to the doctors. If I ever get scared, I just imagine your voice in my ear telling me I'll be just fine. It works. You have a very soothing imaginary voice. :)_

_My hair is growing back! It's past my ears now, longer than most of the girls in here. Do you like girls with long hair? I quite like it short and choppy. I see that becoming very fashionable in a few years, and I like to be ahead of the trends. But I would grow it long if you like. That shows how deeply I care about you Jasper, because a girl's hair is a very important thing. ;)_

_I got a letter from Cynthia. She apologized for the night at the ball. She says it was hard to do that to me, but it was for the best. She's had a baby girl. She said if I ever get "better" she'd like me to see my niece, but not while I'm in here. I tore up the letter and threw it out. I know she means well, but it would hurt me too much to keep in touch with her when she treats me like a strange creature, not her sister. I think her sister died to her when my parents put me in here. I'm just a ghostly reminder of the girl she wishes I was. I miss having parents to love and care for me, and a sister to giggle with. The little things. I miss the feeling that my family is proud of me, and loves me. But you're my family now. You love me. You make me feel like a person. A valuable person. I don't need anyone else._

_I can't wait to feel your arms around me again. I know it's coming soon, but even that's not soon enough._

_Stay safe, my brave solider. I love you._

_Lots of Kisses _(she had kissed the paper several times)

_Your Alice_

(It was signed with a fancy swirly signature of her full name, Mary Alice Brandon)

_P.S. They won't let us take pictures, so here's a drawing of me instead, to show you how long my hair is getting! _(And she'd doodled a little cartoon picture of herself)


	6. Chapter 6: So Far From You

_A/N: Thanks again for the reviews and favorites! Y'all inspired me, so here's the next chapter._

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**Run Away With Me**

**Chapter 6: So Far From You**

Alice sat cross-legged on her bed, the sun streaming through her window. She hugged her pillow to her, a smile spreading across her face as she read Jasper's letter.

_Dear Alice,_

_Thank you for your letter, my precious darling. You have no idea how happy it makes me to read your letters, and how proud I am to pin them up in my tent. _

_Things are hard here as usual. I haven't had much chance to sleep and dream sweet dreams of you, talking to the birds outside your window. I'm glad you've made some friends already. _(Alice chuckled, her eyes darting to the birds, who were chirping a haphazard song together on the top branch of the tree. She chirped back at them, pretending they could understand her.)

_Honey, we'll get a house with the biggest tree you've ever seen. And I'll push you on the swing every day. We can swing together, you can stand on my shoulders and be the tallest girl in the world. :)_

_I love reading your plans for us. It's amazing that you can see these things for certain, but even if they were just stories, they would still mean everything to me. __They fill me with hope for the future. They show me the way to victory and back to you._

_We're on an offensive push now, so we've been seeing a lot of action. I've taken a few scrapes and bruises but nothing serious. The sooner we get it done, the sooner I'll be back in your beautiful tiny arms. _(Tiny! He would get a poke in the ribs for that when we are reunited, Alice thought.)

_It makes me feel safe out here to know you're watching over me, pointing me home to you. I'm fighting, but I'm not really a soldier. __You're my country. You're my home. I fight for you, so that I can come back to you. I pledge my allegiance to you for as long as you want me_. (I want you forever, silly man, she thought. You're my country too.)

_I'm so sorry about Cynthia. I wish I could change her mind. Maybe one day we can try to. When we have our house with our tree and your fresh bread, she could bring your niece to visit. I'll only contact her if you want me to. But no matter what happens with anyone else, I'm here. I'm yours. I'm your family._

_Talking of, I can't wait to take you home to meet my mother. She is going to love you. I'll be lucky if I can steal you back from her. Once she's met you I bet she'll want to keep you forever. I don't blame her. _(You can keep me! Keep me, I'm yours. Alice thought, grinning.)

_Tell me what else you've been doing. Tell me more stories. What else can you see from your window? These little things make me so happy._

_All my love,_

_And lots of kisses too,_

_Your Jasper_

_P.S. I've never had a favorite hairstyle on a girl, but I have a favorite girl. ;) Short and spiky sounds fun, I bet you will start a fashion trend. That's my girl. ;)_

Smiling bigger than ever, Alice traced the swirl of his signature delicately with her fingertip. He'd even doodled some hearts, because he knew she liked that.

Alice gasped suddenly, crumpling the paper with both hands as her eyes unfocussed on the page in front of her, focusing instead on a vision. It gripped her like a vice.

"We're going to take the bank of the river," a tactical decision had been made. The vision shifted. Jasper in battle tomorrow, running across a wide open stretch of burned up ground that used to be a green field. It was too exposed. Why was he in the middle of a wide open space? Behind him, a shower of bullets rained from the horizon. Men from his battalion were all around him, running in the same direction. Some paused to shoot over their shoulders. Jasper's rifle was empty, and he tossed in aside. He started taking off his jacket. Looking ahead, Alice saw a stretch of water, and men jumping to safety. Some of them made it to the water with splashes, swimming off as fast as they could, others were hit by the bullets and fell before they reached the water. Jasper threw off anything that was heavy, bracing himself for the long swim, his breath already coming in gasps. He was almost at the water. He jumped, throwing himself off the ridge, soaring above the water for a moment like a superhero. Then a round of seven bullets from an automatic rifle hit him in the back, puncturing his torso all over like he was a doll. He cried out, blood spurting in every direction as he crashed into the water, dead before he broke the surface.

"NO!" she screamed. "No, no, no!"

She barely registered the two men who came into her room and restrained her to the bed, as she thrashed and screamed in agony. She wanted to explain, to tell someone, but she couldn't speak. Even if she could there would be nothing anyone could do.

"NO!" she cried, tears streaming down her face, her breath tight in her chest. She panted, each breath coming harder than the last.

"Settle down now, Mary," a doctor scolded, sticking her arm with a needle, and she felt numbing liquid flow into her.

She struggled against it, but even if she fought off the stupor, there was nothing she could do.

"Jasper, I need to tell him…he can't, he can't…" she gasped.

But even if she could have written to him at that moment, it would be too late. It was going to happen tomorrow, before the letter would reach him.

"We need to telephone him…" she breathed, the numbing liquid moving around her bloodstream, making her fight to stay conscious.

"You can't telephone anyone," the doctor said, wiping off the needle and making sure she was strapped securely to the bed.

"Major Jasper Whitlock, you have to warn him, please telephone him, please!" her shrieks were beginning to frighten the other patients, who shuffled in the surrounding rooms, banging on the walls, and looked in her door at the hallway.

"Please, please!" she begged, she was frantic, begging with her life. For the first time ever she felt truly mad.

"They don't have telephones on the front line, Mary Alice" the doctor almost chuckled. "Now please, quiet down, you're disturbing the other inmates. I don't want to have to stick you with this again," he flicked the needle. "Morphine is expensive. Just let it do its job."

Alice screamed, it was all she could do now, she just let out a cry of agony, frustrated that no one was listening to her. She dimly felt a sharp slap across her cheek, and blinked, suddenly silenced.

She fought to convey to the doctor the last things she could as the morphine flooded her brain and unconsciousness swept over her.

"Please, try and warn him," she begged in a hoarse voice, straining against her restraints and clutching at the hem of the doctor's coat with her fingertips.

"He can't take the river. I saw him die. It will kill me if he dies. It doesn't matter if I'm crazy. All the years you've worked on me will be for nothing, because if he dies it will kill me…"

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_A/N: __I don't think morphine was in medical use in the early 1900s, but oh well, you get the point. And sorry for the slightly evil cliffhanger! New chapter coming soon, I won't keep you hanging too long ;)_


	7. Chapter 7: A Telephone

_A/N: Sorry for the slightly evil cliffhanger! But I promised a new chapter soon, and here it is!_

_Thank you again for your feedback, I really appreciate it!_

_

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**Run Away With Me**

**Chapter 7: A Telephone**

Jasper sat in his tent rubbing his temples, his brow furrowed in concern. It was always hard to sleep with the constant whizzing and screeching of shells, and the ever present threat of attack. But tonight he was filled with a feeling of unease beyond the usual discomfort.

Something was off, something was wrong. He couldn't say what it was, but he felt it deep in his gut. He had a completely irrational urge to check on his Alice. There would be nothing wrong with her, of course, she was in the safest place she could be for the time being.

But still he could not be satisfied. It was as though he could feel her. Even though that thought made him shake his head because it was ridiculous, in the strangest way it made sense deep inside him. Something was wrong, he just knew it.

He had to be sure. He had to know, tonight. He would never be able to focus in battle tomorrow otherwise, and the last thing she needed was for him to get himself killed worrying about her.

It was a five mile hike to the nearest town, where the nearest phone was located. He had committed the number of the asylum to memory. He could make it there and back by morning. He would be exhausted the next day, but better that than distracted. Exhaustion he could push through, worrying about Alice he could not push aside, and he needed a clear head to fight.

He left word with his second in command that he would be back before sunrise, and made the long hike to the village. It was pitch black, silent and asleep. He made his way to the public call box in the town square. Picking up the receiver, he dialed the asylum. With the time difference, it would be early morning there, and he hoped someone would be around to answer.

"Hello, Biloxi Sanatorium, this is Susan speaking, how may I assist you?"

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hello, my name is Major Jasper Whitlock. I'm a patron of your facility. I need to speak with the Head Doctor immediately."

"Certainly, Major," the receptionist answered. He could hear the respect in her voice, she remembered him from his visit. "One moment please."

There was a shuffle, and a gruff voice spoke, "Yes?"

"Hello doctor, this is Major Jasper Whitlock. I trust you remember me?" he asked.

"Uh, of course," the doctor answered, sounding puzzled.

"I need to speak with Miss Mary Alice Brandon for a moment," Jasper requested, more of a command than a request.

"I'm sorry, you can't do that," the doctor answered.

"It will only take a moment," Jasper pressed, "Please put her on the line."

The doctor cleared his throat. "Mary can't come to the phone at the moment." He said finally.

Jasper's grip on the phone tightened as fear flooded him. His gut had been right, something was wrong. "Why not?" he asked, his voice tight.

"She's sedated," the doctor answered. Jasper flew into a rage at his words,

"I was under the impression she was no longer receiving that treatment," he growled protectively.

"She isn't," the doctor answered, sounding uneasy. "She was screaming, we had to sedate her."

"Screaming?" Jasper asked, truly frightened now.

"Indeed. It's strange…" the doctor mused.

"What is?" Jasper asked, not understanding the doctor's casual thoughtful tone of voice at a time like this.

"She wanted to telephone you," the doctor said, his voice incredulous.

"She did?" Jasper's grip on the phone was almost crushing it.

"She wouldn't stop screaming. She said she needed to telephone you, to warn you about something…" the doctor trailed off, lost in thought. "Something about a river. How strange that you should call just when she wanted to call you," he sounded genuinely perplexed. "Well," he reasoned, "I've seen stranger things here."

But it seemed that, for a second, he considered the very slim chance that she might not be totally insane. Maybe a supernatural witch, but perhaps not delusional.

His momentary doubt was enough to allow Jasper to convince him to drag Mary Alice out of her stupor and let her talk to him for a moment. Jasper's powers of charm and persuasion were still effective over the phone, and truth be told, the doctor was curious what she would say.

He fetched her from her room, keeping her restrained in case she struggled again when she came to, but bringing her to the phone and placing it in her hand. The injection was already starting to wear off, and he slapped her face a little, splashing it with water as she came round.

"The telephone," she murmured, realizing that she was holding it. Suddenly her eyes shot open, and a look of realization dawned in them. For a second they began to unfocus, a new vision descending on her with this new possibility, but she shook it off, needing to talk to Jasper.

"Jazz," she breathed into the phone, still drowsy from the drugs.

"Alice," he answered immediately, "My Alice." It had been so long since he'd heard her voice.

"You knew?" she asked, "How did you know to telephone me?"

"I wasn't sure…I _felt_ it," Jasper answered, trying to put into words something that was too big for him to wrap his brain around. "I felt that something was wrong, I needed to talk to you. I felt you," he murmured.

"You felt me," she gripped the phone with her tiny hands, an intense feeling washing over her. "Oh, Jazz." Alice sighed, she sounded so happy, so relieved.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I had a vision," she explained. Her voice grew steely serious, "You cannot go through with taking the river bank today. You're going to die, I've seen it."

He heard her shudder. His mind was reeling trying to process the information.

"So the bad feeling I got, it was about me?" he asked uncertainly.

"Well, I suppose it was about me because they wouldn't let me call you. I thought there was no way I could warn you. Even if I got to a phone, I wouldn't have known the number, and I knew a letter would never have reached you in time. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do. I thought I was going to loose you."

She paused, her breath hitching. Jasper understood, there was no way he could even comprehend loosing her. His life would be over. There would be no way to exist without her. She was his whole world. His chest swelled, the fearful feeling being replaced by a warm happy proud one as he realized he truly was hers too.

"You won't loose me," he promised. "You'll never loose me. I'll call off the offensive today. I'll find a way around it. I promised you I'm coming home to you, and I will. I'm not dying today."

She'd done it, she'd saved him. Again. She wasn't insane, she was brilliant. And he'd felt her. _They_ were brilliant, together.

"Or am I?" he teased, feeling relieved enough to be playful. "Would you mind checking the near future for me?"

She was silent for a while, concentrated, then she answered.

"You're okay. Nothing bad coming now. Not for a while. We did it, Jazz," she whispered. "We saved you." Her voice sounded awed, like she couldn't believe the miracle that had just taken place. He couldn't believe it himself.

"You're brilliant, you know," he whispered. "We should run all our plans by you."

Actually, that was a excellent idea. If only he had a phone he could carry around, so that he could speak to her whenever he needed.

"I'll call as often as I can. Whenever possible I'll try to run plans by you before they're made. We don't want to take any chances." It would mean a lot of night time hikes to nearby towns and missing sleep, but Jasper could handle that.

"That would make me feel a lot better. I hate worrying and not being able to do anything," Alice laughed, relief making her giddy. "I love you Jazz," she sighed.

"I love you too, my girl. My Alice," he responded reverently. His grip on the phone was light now, his fear replaced with wonder and soaring love.

"I have to get back, to warn them before they start the offensive. I'll have to think of something. Any ideas?" he probed.

Alice checked the future for a second. In the same moment that he thought of the idea, she saw it. He would tell them he'd captured and killed a German spy on his way back from the town and that the enemy had revealed they knew about their attack and were prepared to ambush. As Major, he had a good amount of sway over his small unit. It wouldn't be too hard to convince them to abandon the attack.

"I'll talk to you soon Jazz," Alice promised. "Very soon, actually," she added, peeking at the future and smiling.

"Thanks for feeling me," she murmured, her whole heart smiling.

"I didn't have a choice," Jasper murmured back, awed by their intense connection. "Thanks for saving me."

"You saved me first," she chuckled.

"I'll argue that with you the next time we talk," he laughed back. "Speak soon, my love."

"Bye bye my Jasper."

And the line went dead.

He hung up, stepping out of the phone booth and seeing the dull morning light already starting to streak the sky. He would have to hurry. They'd be mobilizing soon, hoping to strike before it got too light. He took off running back to his base. He was so full of hope and love and wonder at Alice and how perfectly destined they were for each other, that his brisk run felt like he was flying.

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_A/N: Jasper lives! Of course we couldn't kill him ;) Not when he and Alice have so much more loving to do! And Alice is brilliant! But we already knew that. Hope the outcome made up for the evil cliffhanger :) Thanks again for your reviews and support!_


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